The Many Positive Benefits of a Substance Use Disorder Certification Program

If you are thinking about learning more about a substance use disorder certification program, you are not alone. In the past decade, there has been a rapid rise in behavioral healthcare career opportunities. According to Fortune Business Insights, “The U.S. behavioral health market size is projected to grow from $83.70 billion in 2023 to $115.21 billion by 2030… This is due to the implementation of favorable policies on both a federal and state level.” In other words, behavioral healthcare is a forward-looking industry with extensive funding to help expand institutions and create more jobs.

With the national opioid abuse crisis front and center, SUD opportunities particularly are on the rise. Since a substance use disorder certification program opens the door to becoming an SUD counselor, many people want to know more about this career path. Indeed, it is a work opportunity that comes with many positive benefits.

Beyond offering a career as an SUD counselor, there are so many additional positive life benefits. At Tarzana Treatment Centers College (TTCC), the supportive admissions team and engaging teachers offer a wide range of knowledge and tools. By being connected to Tarzana Treatment Centers, one of the largest nonprofit behavioral healthcare organizations in Southern California, TTCC is special. The school can connect students to the ground floor preparation needed for employment in the SUD counseling field.

Potential jobs in the field include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Recovery Technician	2. Substance Use Counselor
3. Substance Use Disorder Navigator	4. Community Health Worker
5. Peer Support Specialist	6. Case Manager
7. Sober Coach	8. Social Worker

Internal and External Benefits of a SUD Certification

Although a substance use disorder certification program does mean immediate employment as an SUD counselor, it does open the door to SUD counseling opportunities. In addition to obtaining certification, applied work hours need to be accumulated to earn a state license from the California Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS).

However, the Substance Use Disorder Certification Program at TTCC turns a student into a perfect candidate for such paid training. Starting out as support staff and technicians, many TTCC graduates have gone on to become certified SUD counselors. At TTCC, the academic team helps students access the kind of opportunities that make the most sense for them individually.

Once a student embraces this career path, many doors open, both internally and externally. Here are some of the positive benefits of substance use disorder counselor certification:

A. Five Internal Personal Benefits of SUD Counseling

1) Building self-esteem by helping people in crisis get back on track

2) Learning every day on the job, both in training and as a counselor

3) The pride of working directly with patients, making a difference

4) Becoming a skilled professional with the respect of your peers

5) Promoting personal development in an interactive environment

However, the personal benefits are just the beginning. The life benefits are also significant.

B. Four External Life Benefits of SUD Counseling

1) Learning and working on a flexible schedule beyond nine to five

2) Access to competitive salaried positions with dependable benefits

3) Becoming part of a supportive team with clear and distinct goals

4) Employment location flexibility since SUD counselors are needed all over

5) The serenity of a stable career path that continues to grow in the 21st century

A Substance Use Disorder Certification Program for You

When you combine the two lists, you have a convincing argument for finding out more about the TTCC substance use disorder certification program. However, it is up to you to take the first step and learn more. As a flexible program with a substantial online presence, we are willing to work with each student. To learn more, contact us today.

SUD Counseling Certification is a resourceful educational step to expand your career options and improve your service capabilities. For professionals already holding degrees or licenses in mental health fields, primary care settings, and as licensed social workers, substance use disorders (SUD) are common in almost any patient population.

Hence, obtaining SUD Counseling Certification can expand the breadth of your behavioral healthcare services.

At the same time, such a certification will broaden your employment horizons, potentially opening new doors and leading to new opportunities.

The SUD Program at Tarzana Treatment Centers College

At Tarzana Treatment Centers College (TTCC), our admissions staff understands the work demands of anyone in a healthcare setting. As a result, we offer a program tailored to each student’s needs. Since you might be more than just a student and have a busy workload with multidimensional responsibilities, we have made the extra effort to make the TTCC program work for you.

For example, most of our SUD Counseling Certification classes are offered online at your convenience. While we focus on the quality of our educational offerings, we also make sure that students, particularly professionals with jobs and families, to have access to these programs. Moreover, we want to accomplish this task without causing difficulties or unnecessary challenges.

The TTCC homepage clearly states, “The mission of Tarzana Treatment Centers, Inc. College (TTCC) is to expand access to a quality and affordable healthcare learning experience for adults in all stages of their professional career and development.” By turning this mission into a viable reality for behavioral healthcare professionals, TTCC can substantially contribute to the needed expansion of the workforce.

Professional Benefits of SUD Counseling Certification

Three Professional Benefits of SUD Counseling Certification:

1. A Multitude of Employment Opportunities
   1. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports an 18% increase in SUD Counseling positions over the next decade. The need for substance use disorder treatment is a high-growth industry.
2. SUD Counselor Certification Improves Standing and Status
   1. A behavioral healthcare professional will find that obtaining SUD Counseling Certification can improve their reputation and credibility with employers and potential patients.
3. Expansion of Employment Geography and Locations
   1. By obtaining SUD Counseling Certification, new doors open with new employment possibilities, both in the type of healthcare providers and the location of those potential jobs.

Beyond these benefits, however, one more reason makes perfect sense for healthcare providers across the country and in every potential location.

The Importance of Addressing Co-Occurring Disorders

Although co-occurring disorders may not be more common today than ever before, they certainly are more recognized. In behavioral healthcare treatment settings, most patients come into treatment with co-occurring disorders, including substance use disorders, mental health challenges, and chronic physical health problems like diabetes and STDs.

With any of these co-occurring disorders, substance use disorders tend to be the most apparent and immediate option to address. If a patient stops taking drugs or drinking alcohol, all the other co-occurring disorders tend to improve as well.

With Substance Use Disorder Certification, behavioral healthcare professionals gain the training needed to assess and treat substance use disorders. Even if the treatment is an initial detoxification, it begins a process that leads to long-term treatment options. To learn more about how TTCC can help expand and widen your career, please contact us today.

Opportunities for behavioral healthcare employment are expanding in Southern California. For example, government entities and nonprofit organizations lead this expansion process. As the educational extension of Tarzana Treatment Centers (TTC), Tarzana Treatment Centers College (TTCC) is working hard to expand opportunities. In February, the Los Angeles City Council approved recommendations to improve behavioral health services’ coordination, delivery, and communication.

By focusing on coordinating and delivering behavioral health services through modernized communication systems, the LA City Council is keeping pace with the 21^st century. Reflecting a 12-0 vote, council members want to highlight organizations by council districts that provide health services. Hence, each organization must provide its take on comprehensive strategies that will best serve Angelinos.

LA City Council and Behavioral Healthcare Employment

At the same time, the LA City Council is looking to address behavioral health workforce shortages through possible incentives. For example, student loan repayment, payment of school and certification fees, and moving stipends are some ideas on the table. Such an expansion of behavioral healthcare employment reflects the heart of TTCC’s mission. Addressing intersectionality and workplace bias, TTCC offers many programs that make behavioral healthcare employment an inclusive and diverse work environment.

Such a workforce issue motivates the LA City Council to make these changes. Indeed, in their research, the LA City Council discovered the following: “According to the County Behavioral Health Directors Association of California’s February 2023 report, which surveyed 57 counties across the state, more than 70% of county behavioral health agencies had difficulty recruiting new hires.” Given such difficulties, educational programs like TTCC are critical to the solution.

Behavioral Healthcare Employment and TTCC Opportunities

Beyond providing vital behavioral health services at nineteen locations across LA County, TTC promotes the use of evidence-based practices (EBP) and innovative health interventions based on science and research.  To address workforce needs in California, TTC offers a variety of programs that allow students to start their training in a way that is tailored to their needs. From Continuing Education Opportunities to the Substance Use Disorder Counselor Certification Program to the Medi-Cal Peer Support Services (PSS) Certification and Project Open Doors (POD); an online General Education Development (GED) preparation program.  These offerings provide great opportunities for employment to all individuals seeking job positions in behavioral healthcare.

On the TTCC website’s home page, the intent of these programs is clear:

“The mission of Tarzana Treatment Centers, Inc. College (TTCC) is to expand access to a quality and affordable healthcare learning experience for adults in all stages of their professional career and development. As part of this mission, we implement academic courses and student activities with an emphasis on the delivery of quality integrated healthcare services based on evidence-based practices, patient-centered care, and reducing total cost of care.”

By combining quality with opportunity, TTCC reflects the goals of the Los Angeles City Council’s new directive. Thus, TTCC is here to open the doors of opportunity for adults wanting to access behavioral healthcare employment. However, you need to take the first steps in the process.

Take the First Step to Behavioral Healthcare Employment

On the TTCC home page, follow these steps to learn more information about each of TTC’s multiple offerings:

1. Complete the Interest Form Online
2. Schedule and Complete a Student Interview
3. Sign the Enrollment Agreement
4. Begin Your Coursework

Indeed, it is easy to begin an academic program in behavioral health services.  To learn more, visit our TTC College website.

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